Thursday, July 31

I DONT LIKE HIM!!!! GLASS OF WINE

I got a call to go open a new case,I was told she is 80 Years old· avery prominent lady of her town,she was very succesful in Real Estate and dating an 88 year old man who did well himself.Her home was beautiful the living room over looked the river and the wall was all glass so you could see out.She dressed very nice She is petite and very kind.Loves to wear a straw hat,Her diagnosis is second stage of Alzheimer(which is sever memory loss)

We sat at the kitchen table and talked. At first glance you couldnt tell anything was wrong with her,Physically she looked fine.She offered me a glass of wine at 10am I politly declined. Later this would become our nightly routine a glass of wine (mine was cranberry juice in a wine glass)and Wheel of fortune.She amazed me at how sharp her mind was solving the puzzels with just a few letters.Yet she`d want to go visit her Mother(She had passed 20 years ago) I had learned correcting them only brings more confusion.I would try to find ways around it.We would get in the car even if it was 2am and drive to go see her Mother.Really I would drive just a few blocks and come back home pull in the drive way and she say "Ahhh feels good to be home again," Some nights this could happen 3 or 4 times but thats ok my job was to keep her mind at ease.

One night during Wheel of Fortune she was reall confused and wanting to pack the silverware (We had to go home)So I used her phone pretended to call "her" house I said out loud "Oh they just finished painting the house and we have to wait here"She seemed content with that........,So I thought..She looked over at me and asked "Who are you? (Id been working there 6 months 72 to 80 hours a week)she was getting aggitated "You've got to go you cant be here , I dont know you' "My boyfriend will be upset your here so late so Im leaving"

After thinking about it I said "Im going to call Charlie see what he thinks"
So I left the room changed into a bright red shirt and took my glasses off said a prayer hoping this works, I walked towards Berta"Hello Im Charlies Grandson he asked me to wait here til he gets here"She took my hand and sat me down "Oh thank God your here I didnt like the other young man.......Glass of wine."

God bless you. It does take a special person to deal with a person with alzhiemers.. In somewhat early stage, I think my brother-in-law just did not deal with my sister.She had anything shiny covered. Stove wrapped door knobs in newspapers, mirrors covered, fuses removed. I called a doctor I picked out of the phone book and he said trick her if you have to but get her admitted to a hospital. It helped for a year or so at getting the shiny exposed but dear god, the nursing home with so many were nearly impossible to handle. The day I went into Mabels room and found a man in her bed nearly did me in until I saw she was not in there. As time went on and she went into her world all I could do was go into her bed and try to get a flicker of something in her eyes, go and cry in my car and go to my home.. You are a very special person to find ways to deal with all that goes into your work.

This must be one of the harder things to got through with someone you love. The loss of memory. I watched this with my husband's father, and how it broke his heart was when his dad didn't even remember him...

Nice to see someone to the time to tend to older people. Life is like a baseball game. You play sandlot ball, little league, college ball and the pros. You start out playing your favorite position, then they move you to the outfield and eventually the bench. People need to take time to salute the bench. After all, we all are sent to the bench eventually.